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20 Defining Albums

I usually don’t do those stupid Facebook chain letter things where you answer 40 questions about how big your dog’s tongue is, but this one had me intrigued.

Basically, I had to pick 20 albums that defined me as a person. I was quite verbose with my answers, and thought I would share them here as well. Here you go.

The Beatles – Hey Jude (The Beatles Again) – Though never released on CD in the states, this record truly changed my life. I still have the LP, and plan on holding on to it until I’m old and dusty. Songs such as “Hey Jude”, “Can’t Buy Me Love” and the rocking version of “Revolution” really cemented me with this album.

George Harrison – All Things Must Pass – (Is that cheating? Oh well.) After being heartbroken that I had run out of new Beatles vinyl records, I dusted off this album from my parents collection. George Harrison is my favorite Beatle, and this album was full of songs he had written during his time in the band.

Pink Floyd – The Wall – This album is one of the few (see another next) that truly makes me weep. The haunting tones and lyrics just set me into a sobbing session. I still can’t listen to the song “Mother” without a box of tissues.

The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) – Yet another album that catches me sobbing even hours after I listen to it. My mother and I were huge fans of this, and I still think about her clearly when I hear it. Goosebumps start things off with the opening chords in the Phantom’s theme song.

Alanis Morrisette – Jagged Little Pill – What self-respecting person of my age would not include this in their top 20 albums that affected their life? This album truly sums up my middle school experience, and puts me right back in the hormone-filled times. I also learned to touchtype to this album, so I often think about it at random times during my life.

Blind Melon – Soup – My high school days were filled with marijuana smoke and lazing about. Soup was the pinacle of the music that I listened to at that time, and it still rings true to me to this day. The story of Myriah and my first date even features the song “Skinned”, which is about the serial killer Ed Gein.

Unified Theory – Unified Theory – After a void was left in my musical experience when I had played out all of the Blind Melon albums, I was turned on to a downloading service called “AudioGalaxy”. After searching out and finding all related Blind Melon songs, I came across Unified Theory. Unified Theory was the next band created by the surviving members of Blind Melon, fronted by the haunting vocals of Chris Shinn. If you haven’t heard Unified Theory, go seek it out, you won’t regret it.

Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin had become a personal favorite during high school. Houses of the Holy is still to this day one of the few albums that I listen to from start to finish. The song “The Ocean” especially rings true to me.

Limp Bizkit – Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water – I hate to admit it, but this is one of the defining albums of my life. This was the first album that I had pirated before it was actually released. I went through weeks of fakes and weird tracks to finally get the full album, and when I think of high school, there’s always Limp Bizkit in the equation somewhere.

Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced? – Jimi was the man, and these songs are the ones that I consistently sing at random times. Truly one of the most remarkable albums I have heard to this date.

Green Day – Dookie – One of the first Compact Discs that I listened to. I once recorded “Basket Case” over and over again, filling one whole side of a cassette.

No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom – The first CD that I ever bought with my own money. “Spiderwebs” woke me up every day of 9th grade, and this CD was persistantly in my CD player for the next few years. Both my brother and sister also owned a copy of this CD.

Smash Mouth – Fush Yu Mang – This was the first CD that I convinced my mom to buy. She was a little hesitant about the title, but I did eventually get it for Christmas. “Walking on the Sun” is one of those songs that everyone my age knew the lyrics to.

Incubus – Morning View – This album is the quintiscential me. I love this CD with all my heart. I once walked down Tybee Beach listening to this album all the way through. That experience is forever engrained in my mind.

The Fifth Element OST – The Fifth Element was–and is to this day–my favorite movie of all time. I went as far as lying to a friend’s mother so that we could go see the movie in the theatre for the sixth time. The soundtrack became one of the CDs I listened to before every hockey match, effectively centering me and allowing me the concentration I needed.

Nora Jones – Come Away With Me – Nora Jones is one of my favorite singers. Her voice speaks to me on a level unmatched by even the best singers out there. I sometimes even annoy my wife with the level of appreciation I have for this album.

Tool – Lateralus – This album blows my mind on a regular basis. I often wonder if they thought it would be funny if people walked around with their band shirts on that proudly proclaim “Tool” on the front of them.

Korn – Follow The Leader – Back in the height of high school, there was this new thing on MTV called “Total Request Live”. Before it turned into a Pop Music orgy, there was cool stuff on it, such as Korn and Limp Bizkit. Follow the Leader kicked so much ass that I asked for their next album for Christmas. My sister, well meaning, bought the album for me, but from WalMart, and thus was a critically flawed “Edited” version.

And Last But Certainly Not Least, the most embarassing:

The Simpsons Sing the Blues – “Do The Bartman” was a personal anthem of mine for a long while after hearing this CD. Yes, I was/am that dorky.

Now you know a little bit of my psyche, which is quite a harrowing experience.